Bengaluru: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka has issued a detailed clarification on the Aland voter deletion controversy, countering allegations of large-scale electoral fraud raised by political leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
According to the CEO’s office, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of 46-Aland Assembly Constituency received 6,018 applications under Form-7 in December 2022 through apps such as NVSP, VHA, and GARUDA. Suspecting irregularities, a thorough verification was carried out by EROs, AEROs, and BLOs.
The inquiry revealed that only 24 applications were genuine, while 5,994 were fraudulent or incorrect. Consequently, 24 applications were accepted and the rest were rejected, ensuring no wrongful deletion of voters from the rolls.
An FIR was lodged at Aland Police Station, Kalaburagi district on February 21, 2023 (FIR No.26/2023) to probe the fraudulent submissions.
On September 6, 2023, the CEO, Karnataka handed over all relevant data to the Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi, including voter reference details, EPIC numbers, log-in mobile numbers, IP addresses, applicant information, and submission timelines. The Election Commission has also facilitated meetings between the Investigating Officer, Cyber Security experts, and the Chief Electoral Officer to review progress.
The CEO’s office emphasized that it has been fully cooperating with law enforcement and continues to provide necessary documents and support to the investigation team.
“This case underscores the Election Commission’s commitment to ensuring transparency, preventing bogus applications, and safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process in Karnataka,” the CEO clarified.
About the Author
